The Vig coming to downtown
 

I just got an email from my neighborhood list - it looks like The Vig is applying for a liquor licence at 4th Ave and Fillmore in the old Local Breeze house. They currently have a location at 40th St. and Indian School and one at 16th St. and Bethany Home.

http://i45.tinypic.com/33oha4o.jpg

Woah!!

Nice!

that is really cool!

Rumors of a Vig Downtown at the Cavness House have been circulating for at least a year, long enough for me to think they couldn't possibly be true. I'm glad to be proven wrong. The challenge with the Cavness House has been that the kitchen is tiny compared to the seating areas both inside and outside on the huge patio. That led to long waits for food at both Palette and Local Breeze. I'm optimistic that the owners of the Vig have the resources to address that through renovation.

Vig Downtown= awesome. This is another boost for Roosevelt Row, even though its 2 blocks off Roosevelt, it still helps.

Plus Im sure the Vig owners will do some really cool stuff (ie bocce) with all of that large outdoor space.

Prior to the bust, the house north of Cibo's was going to be a steakhouse. Maybe with Vig moving in, there will be someone interested in it again.

Makes sense. There's already a bocce court at the Cavness House, and both existing Vigs have bocce courts.

the Vig on Indian School is always packed how is the one doing on 16th st? ive been there twice and have had fun but always wondering if it is as packed as the one Arcadia?

Sheriff's Office is taking shape
 

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Saint James Hotel
 

The back of the toll-booth for the new Suns luxury parking lot was being worked on:

http://i47.tinypic.com/jfko3p.jpg

I love how they tore down two buildings full of beautiful brick, and whatever they are putting in their place is being built with cheap masonry block. Wish they could have salvaged the brick and used that. Obviously that would be too costly or prohibitive (due to taking too much time/effort for sarver), but it would be cool and better than throwing the brick directly into the landfill.

At this point I'm just glad they're doing anything to maintain the structural integrity of the building. I wonder if there are in fact any plans for the building.

Hey guys I moved the Suns related stuff to the Suns thread.

Thank you. Should it be renames something about SARVER?

Empty lot to be revitalized with art-embellished walls representing downtown community
By Jesse Millard, On Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

The empty lot near the Coronado Hotel may be transformed into an art installation for the community’s enjoyment. The Phoenix Urban Collaborative says it is backing the installation. (Carolina Marquez/DD)
A collaborative team says it plans to revamp a vacant lot near the Coronado Hotel on First and McKinley streets into a new installation for the community.

The nonprofit Phoenix Urban Collaborative is behind the lot’s possible re-creation. Architect and ASU alumni Michael Lu owns the lot and is one of the project leaders.

Lu and his wife originally bought the lot to create an office for themselves but, because of the economy, Lu said he decided to put the empty lot to a different use. He says he is making the lot into an art installation for the community but is still brainstorming definite plans for the lot.

Lu said he would like to create an original wall for the community. The wall would divide the sides of the lot with different art styles on either side. One side would be for English art and the other side would be for Spanish art to represent both aspects in the community.

The lot would be available for the community to transform and evolve the property into whatever they envision, essentially an outdoor art studio for the community.

Another of Lu’s ideas is to use his property as an art venue where an artist could transform the lot into an exhibition for all to see during the making of his or her piece.

Lu said no matter which plans they decide on he wants the lot to be for the community.

“(We) need hands and ideas for what these sites could be,” Lu said.

The site is not limited to use as an art installation. The wall could also be used as a projection screen for the community to play movies on.

Two local graphic design firms, Nanogram and Worksite, are also sponsoring the project.

Architect and ASU alumni Bob Wilkinson worked on the lot and said he is very passionate about this lot’s future and potential.

“If every (empty) site had some clean up and organization, everyone would come up with something different,” Wilkinson said.

Currently the lot has a dirt path running through it, which Wilkinson helped create along with friends.

“The path definitely brightens up the spot… it’s an expansion opportunity for First Friday,” Journalism junior Eddie Ralph said.

The collaborative nonprofit wants to create a movement of transforming empty lots into something much better.

Though the nonprofit is still in the idea phase for what to do with the lot they want to bring life to it with the path that has been created. Lu said he wants it to be used and not to be just another dead lot.

Nicolae Sinu of the Coronado Hotel said that he thinks the lot will be great.

“We need more installations here, we have a lot of lots that need to be filled in,” Sinu said.

For more information and pictures of the project go to pucstudio.wordpress.com.

Contact the reporter at jesse.millard@asu.edu

Can't wait for this to be another flounder by Sarver.

Condos at 11th and McDowell
 

If they plan on de-emphasizing that wall they sure aren't helping with this landscaping. Those palo verde trees won't hide the wall and the bougainvillea are going to take years before they're bigger. And to make it worse, they planted queen palms in the courtyard behind the wall. Queen palms "survive" at best in Phoenix. They need different PH in the soil, more humidity, and lots of water. I'm sure they planted the queen palms because they are so cheap.

http://i46.tinypic.com/2nti89l.jpg

http://i50.tinypic.com/9to9xg.jpg

Too bad they didn't at least paint it. :(

I think the above rehab is the worst project to ever hit Central Phoenix in many years. The ultra low density crap apartments that are now condos will never go away, and now there's a huge wall setting back the someday revival of McDowell even further. From the street it looks like a school for juvenile delinquents. Yeesh.